Michael Kayes's Blog

137th Edition

Higher Standards

What are the standards to which you hold yourself accountable? Have they been consistent throughout your life, or have you raised or lowered them?  I thought of these questions after reading about the recent gambling-related arrests in the NBA.  Wasn’t something like this inevitable after gambling became such a prominent part of professional sports?  By promoting and encouraging gambling have we not lowered the bar of ethical standards? Does anyone care?

Moral and ethical decline rarely happens quickly, or from one dramatic event.  It tends to happen gradually, almost imperceptibly, over a long period of time.  Along the way we ignore minor ethical slippages, especially if they are done by people on our side. It’s always the other side’s behavior that is an existential threat to democracy.  Then, suddenly, we become shocked by how far we have fallen. Somehow, we have to rise above all this finger pointing and hypocrisy and hold ourselves to a higher standard. Stop pointing out the speck in someone else’s eye when we have a plank in our own eye. Just as ethical and moral erosion is highly contagious, the opposite can be as well. Who has the courage to lead the reversal? Our country is waiting…   

If we don’t possess a mindset of always challenging ourselves to raise our ethical and moral standards, then we allow the possibility, if not the eventuality, of gradual decay.  That is how human nature tends to work.  A person doesn’t get out of shape all at once, it happens after months or years of inactivity.  Moral and ethical behavior works the same way.

What other areas have experienced moral and ethical decay?  Politics, media, entertainment, and business would make the list.  A more appropriate question might be in what areas hasn’t there been moral and ethical decay? Perhaps there really hasn’t been, but with the Internet and ubiquitous iPhones maybe we are just exposed to more disgusting behavior today than in the past.

So, what do we do about it?  Rationalization comes into play a lot – At least I’m not as bad as the other guy.  All that does is grease the slippery slope of ethical and moral decay.  So, back to the question, what do we do about it? Here are a few ideas.

Perhaps we can start by eliminating gambling in professional sports. It’s a destructive cycle. Side bets with friends lead to fantasy sports leagues, which then leads to on-line gambling, and eventually players and coaches get arrested for allegedly fixing games.  None of this should be surprising.  Gambling is going to ruin professional sports.  

Then maybe it would be helpful to take an old-school approach to how we spend our leisure time. Turn off, or tune out, all the talking heads from both sides. Listen to YouTube videos of the late Paul Harvey instead. I sure do miss him. It’s hard not to feel better about life after listening to one of his stories. If you’re a sports fan, you might also enjoy videos by Jerry Kramer, the Hall of Fame offensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers during the Lombardi era. Of course there are thousands of good books yet to be read, or neighbors to visit, or people in need of help. There are endless pathways to a reordered heart. One that isn’t angry or cynical, or apathetic. One that is grateful and at peace. One that is trusting and not fearful.  Higher standards would come naturally to a person with a reordered heart. And it would be contagious.

I’ll close with one of my favorite Bible verses… Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Please help me grow my readership by forwarding this to a friend(s). In the meantime, stay tuned for my next newsletter. Thanks!

Michael Kayes 

*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.

136th Edition

Don’t let the old man in

Don’t let the old man in is a saying many of my friends use to encourage each other to remain active and continue to be young at heart.  It’s vitally important to quality of life as one ages.  Moreover, there are multiple facets of this never-ending battle.  First of all, it’s important to remain active both physically and mentally.  What we don’t use atrophies over time. Physical activities, including resistance training and cardiovascular exercise, are extremely important to do regularly.  It might help to set some goals, achieve them, and then set more goals.  All it takes is self-discipline.  If you’ve never done any of this before, just try your best. It gets easier over time, I promise.

Exercising our brain involves learning new things and spending some time each day in deep thought. Write and read as much as you can.  Turn off the TV and keep it off.  Even that gets easier over time.

Challenge yourself physically and mentally.  Don’t coast or settle.  Keep pushing.  Do the best you can and be proud of your effort. Be thankful for each breath you take in God’s Kingdom.  Make each day a masterpiece.

Stay young at heart.  What does this really mean?  In reality, wouldn’t it be nice to live like a young man, with the wisdom of an old man?  (words immortalized by Bob Seger).  Young at heart does not mean being impulsive or unwise, it means not being stubborn, cynical, or overly pessimistic.  It means being open-minded and willing to try new things.  Looking back, most people have experienced difficulties and disappointments. I know I sure have.  But remaining young at heart also means never giving up hope that challenges can be overcome and that injustices can be corrected.  Hope is the foundation post of being young at heart.  Hope is an active word, and from hope grows duty, self-sacrifice, honor, and a relentless search for the truth.

The wisdom of an old man….  What happens to our wisdom?  Does it fade away slowly as we age?  How much of it is passed on to the next generation?  I suspect that much of it fades away and that is unfortunate.  The young have a lot they can learn from their elders.  The reverse is true, too.  I’m wondering if the young and old interact enough.  The young could share new discoveries and innovations while the old describe meaningful experiences from the past and the timeless wisdom that resulted.

When I was young, I wanted to create my own destiny.  I learned by doing and I made a lot of mistakes.  I had little time to listen to the wisdom of the elders around me.  I wish I could go back and listen intently to some of them. Especially my grandmother Hazel who taught me unconditional love and service before self.  Also, my Uncle Frank who made every moment I spent with him feel special.  Last, but not least, I miss my dear old friend Ted, who passed away recently.  He inspired me with his unsurpassed work ethic, indefatigable optimism, and devotion to friends and family.

I wonder if our country is still young at heart….  In our relatively short history, we have accomplished so much. Sometimes I think Americans believe success, even greatness, is our destiny.  Do we understand what caused the downfall of the great civilizations in history?  Do we understand which are today’s serious issues to focus on and solve, and which are not?  Can we still discern between truth and fabrication?  Are our elders still young at heart? Are they hopeful?  Do they exude a sense of duty, self-sacrifice, honor, and truth?  I hope our country never lets the old man in.

Please help me grow my readership by forwarding this to a friend(s). In the meantime, stay tuned for my next newsletter. Thanks!

Michael Kayes 

*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.

135th Edition

AI – Friend or Foe

Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, just announced some exciting news. As stated in a recent Wall Street Journal article, “Walmart is forming a partnership with OpenAI to let shoppers buy its products directly within ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence chatbot.”  Admittedly, I’m not sure what all that means, but it does sound exciting, doesn’t it? 

AI is being integrated into just about every day-to-day task, including email and word processing.  It might seem natural to use AI to enhance our daily shopping.  As I age and become more forgetful, it is really annoying to get home from a shopping trip only to realize I’ve forgotten one or two items.  Won’t AI eliminate this frustrating experience?  I’m also not much for making shopping lists, but again, AI will do that for me somehow, won’t it? Eventually, by utilizing AI I won’t have to plan, organize my thoughts, or remember anything.  Sounds like AI will produce a significant improvement in my standard of living, right?

Still, I’m wondering what will happen to my brain once I become dependent on AI.  I know what happens to my muscles and cardiovascular system when I take time off from exercise.  Will a similar atrophy in my mental capability occur once AI takes over?

One of the most interesting aspects of brain function, at least to me, is intuition.  We all experience it from time to time.  For some strange reason we have a sudden urge to do something that interrupts our daily routine.  Maybe we feel an urge to call a friend we haven’t talked to in quite a while.  Maybe we feel an impulse to look through an old box in the attic that we haven’t opened in years.  Stuff like that.  We all feel these urges sometimes.  And often they lead to meaningful experiences.  I had one of these recently when I had the urge to check out the on-line version of my hometown newspaper.  Finding nothing particularly interesting in the sports section, I went to the obituary page. The second name that came up was my best friend from grade school, who died a few months ago.  I have so many fond memories of him, and I wouldn’t have known about his passing had I not had the urge to visit my hometown newspaper.  Will AI supply the urges that lead to meaningful discoveries and heartfelt memories?

AI will undoubtedly make a lot of functions and operations more efficient.  It is likely to change, if not eliminate countless jobs across virtually every industry.  It might even allow us to spend less time wandering up and down the aisles in Walmart looking for dish soap, toothpaste, or band aids.

Which leads me to this question.  Is your life more meaningful when you are more connected to and dependent upon technology or when you are unplugged and disconnected?  That’s an easy question for me to answer.  How about you?

I have this sinking feeling that AI isn’t going to make our lives more meaningful.  However, it will do a few things. First, it will eliminate a lot of lower-skill, entry-level jobs.  That’s unfortunate, in my opinion.  I learned so much from my first job, as I imagine most people did.  Second, it will give businesses and government more information about our buying habits as well as how we spend our time online.  What they do with this information is anyone’s guess. Some of it might be positive, like the AI-enhanced trip to Walmart. No more forgetting items and no more need for shopping lists!  But, businesses and government will be tempted to use this information for their own benefit.  To control how we think and act.  From the perspective of individual freedom, I don’t think that it is likely to turn out well.

Too much of technology today is a solution in search of a problem.  Nevertheless, each day we are becoming more dependent on technology.  Who hasn’t had a panic attack when they couldn’t find their iPhone?  Dependency is never a good thing, with one exception, of course, which is dependency on God. Will AI lead us in that direction? We shall see. 

Please help me grow my readership by forwarding this to a friend(s). In the meantime, stay tuned for my next newsletter. Thanks!

Michael Kayes 

*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.

134th Edition

Discrimination

Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it illegal for businesses like hotels, restaurants, theaters, and other places open to the public to discriminate against customers based on race, color, religion, or national origin. There is now an ongoing debate about whether businesses should be prohibited from discriminating against customers based on political beliefs.  For example, should an ice cream shop operated by liberals be able to refuse to sell an ice cream cone to a person wearing a MAGA hat?  Or could a conservative restaurant owner refuse a table to a couple wearing Black Lives Matter tee shirts?

Recently, an employee at an Office Depot refused to print a poster of Charlie Kirk for a customer.  That employee was apparently fired.  Should employees be able to express their political beliefs by refusing to conduct business with someone who holds an opposing political view?

My sense is the Office Depot employee would have had no problem selling general office supplies to the customer.  What the employee objected to was producing a poster supporting a political viewpoint he didn’t support.  One argument contends that this would fall under freedom of speech laws.  Creating the poster would have forced the employee to support a political cause he didn’t agree with.  Certainly, the customer could have gotten the poster made at another office supply store whose employees supported the poster’s views.

But I think there is something missing within this line of reasoning.  When you are an employee, you get paid to do a certain job.  If doing that job requires you to perform a task that offends you, like making a poster in support of a political view you despise, then go find a different job, one that wouldn’t present such philosophical challenges.  Good luck finding such a job.

Do the same rules apply to business owners?  Can a business refuse to serve a person because they disagree politically?  Currently there are no laws or legal precedents that would prohibit such policies.  What would society look like if we had separate grocery stores, restaurants, and department stores for liberals and conservatives?  It’s a silly idea to even contemplate, isn’t it? But is that where we are headed?

Political polarization has existed for quite a while, and it isn’t going away.  Maybe it doesn’t need to.  Maybe we can just agree to disagree and never discuss emotionally-charged issues like politics or religion.  Spend our time only with people who think and look just like us.  What harm would that do to our country?

The by-product of continued polarization is an unquenchable thirst for power at the highest levels of our government as well as within the private sector.  Fear and distrust drive the political process and impact business decisions.  Absent trust, the goal for each side becomes making sure, at all costs, that the other side doesn’t win.  Finding common ground, or win-win solutions becomes a secondary consideration at best.

Under this environment, corruption, inefficiency, and underutilization of resources will rob of us of our full potential, both individually and collectively.  Progress, in any form, economically or socially, will result despite, not because of, the workings of the power-obsessed leaders within both the public and private sectors.  Over time, individual freedom, economic mobility, and basic civility will all suffer.  Kind of like what is happening now throughout our country. We are not doomed to continue along this path of disunity. However, it will take something or someone extraordinary to redirect us.

If we remain divided how does this all end?  Should our country divide into two?  Have we done so already, at least practically?  I hope someday I can write a blog about how our country is coming together.  I hope it won’t be because World War III has started.  I’ll give the last word of this blog to Albert Einstein who had an interesting comment about WW III.  When he was asked what weapons might be used in WW III he responded, “I have no idea. But World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” Yikes.

Please help me grow my readership by forwarding this to a friend(s). In the meantime, stay tuned for my next newsletter. Thanks

Michael Kayes 

*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.

133rd Edition

Entitled to what?

In a You Tube video, Coach Saban walks to the podium and says, “I want to talk about the importance of nothing. You get up every day… You’re entitled to… nothing.” He then goes on to stress the importance of discipline, staying focused, and always doing your best. Here is a link to the full video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKzsO4qdwcM

With all the wealth we have in this country, with AI eliminating entry-level jobs, shouldn’t young people be entitled to something? There are those who think universal income is a possible solution. They think it would be acceptable to pay people for doing, well, nothing. Why? Because we can, and it’s not fair, especially to young people who are prevented from entering the job market because of technological advancements like AI. 

All this made me think about the importance of one’s first job. I don’t mean the first job after college or graduate school. I mean the very first job you had that you got paid to do. Maybe it was doing chores around the house. Payment might have been food on the table and clothes to wear. Maybe it was mowing lawns or babysitting. In my case, for at least seven months of the year, it included raking leaves or shoveling snow. God help us if these kind of first jobs are eliminated by AI, or worse yet, we raise a generation that never has this experience. Instead, they are given things they haven’t earned. They are entitled to all kinds of activities, including travel teams, piano lessons, trips and life experiences, as they await their first universal income check. Is that the direction our country is headed?  

What did you learn from your very first job? I learned to show up on time, put in the effort to get the job done and to exceed the expectations of my boss. As a young teenager, I had summer jobs that were challenging. Many were downright awful, like the job I had at a local factory that made bookcases. I worked outside stacking lumber and cleaning out the kiln after another batch of lumber had been baked dry. I was hot, sweaty, and dirty all day. Minimum wage, no tips. It taught me that it was a job I didn’t want to do for the rest of my life. How much was that worth? In an AI-dominated world with everyone receiving universal income, will kids still learn that invaluable life lesson? 

In this context, the challenge our country faces is to harness technology in a way that doesn’t destroy the necessary life lessons that teach essential core values. Can we reinvest our wealth and utilize developments like AI, to make us more productive, more successful as a nation, while preserving old-school values? Or will a pervasive sense of entitlement replace our long-standing sense of responsibility?   

I’m reminded of the famous speech Coach Herb Brooks delivered to the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team before the game against the Russians –      

“Great moments are born from great opportunity.

And that’s what you have here tonight, boys.

That’s what you’ve earned here, tonight. One game.

If we played ’em ten times, they might win nine. But not this game. Not tonight.

Tonight, we skate with ’em.

Tonight, we stay with ’em, and we shut them down because we can!

Tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world.

You were born to be hockey players — every one of ya.

And you were meant to be here tonight.

This is your time.

Their time — is done. It’s over.

I’m sick and tired of hearin’ about what a great hockey team the Soviets have. Screw ’em!

This is your time!!

Now go out there and take it!”

It was inspirational and effective because of all the hard work the team put into getting ready for that historic game. Not an ounce of entitlement in the process. 

If there needs to be something universal, might we consider things other than income. Like universal integrity, kindness, thankfulness, and grace. Just a thought…  

Please help me grow my readership by forwarding this to a friend(s). In the meantime, stay tuned for my next newsletter. Thanks

Michael Kayes 

*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.

132nd Edition

The American Dream revisited

According to a recent Wall Street Journal poll, 70% of our country believes the American Dream is dead. For what it’s worth, 55% of Republicans, as well as 90% of Democrats, held this negative view of future prospects and opportunities for themselves, and even more so for their children. The large gap between the two sides might be worth exploring, but I’ll save that for another day. What I’ll attempt to do in today’s blog is give a few reasons why the American Dream may be unachievable today and then offer a few suggestions for reversing that outlook.

First, the American Dream is founded on the belief that each generation will live at a higher standard of living than the previous one. This held true in our country for the better part of our nation’s history, up to and including the Baby Boom generation (people born between 1946-1964). Unfortunately for Millennials, the generation following the Baby Boomers, that amazing wealth-creating trend has come to an end. Generally speaking, on average, Millennials have a zero chance of living at a higher standard of living than their parents. Why? The answer is relatively straightforward. In a word – Inflation. Everything costs too much, especially, but certainly not limited to, food, real estate, and health care. (See this previous blog “Things that cost too much  https://kayesbooks.com/inflation-remains-a-problem/ )

Why does everything cost a lot more today than it did a generation ago? Profligate government spending and over-regulation deserve a big part of the blame. Consider the fact that many large companies, like Bank of America, employ more internal compliance and regulatory people than it does salespeople. The former creates zero revenues, despite adding millions in costs. Add in the number of employees dedicated to DEI and internal IT security, and you have billions of dollars in costs that have to be covered each year while generating no revenue. Consumers pay for this bureaucratic burden through higher prices.

Moreover, as the federal government continues to spend well beyond its means, inflationary pressures work through the system. The stock market rises and this wealth effect benefits Baby Boomers disproportionately because they hold significantly more of their wealth in stocks than younger generations do.

The anger with this situation felt by so many young people today, and hence their interest in socialism, stems from a few horrendous decisions Baby Boomers made as they raised their kids. The two most character-destroying parental philosophies were equal playing time and participation trophies. In a nutshell, too many Millennials have an entitlement attitude. They expect more than reality tends to give them. With their entitlement mindset they tend to blame the system, or institutions, or some group other than themselves. Sure, there are exceptions, but generally speaking, that is society’s current predicament.

So, what should we do? There seems to be two clear philosophical strategies for dealing with economic challenges related to perpetuating the American Dream. The first proposes more government intervention and control. Socialism for some, but definitely a reliance on top-down micro-management of the economy, which includes higher minimum wage, wealth redistribution, higher taxes, and higher government spending. The alternative approach argues for less government intervention, free market capitalism, lower taxes and spending. As the political winds vacillate in either direction, so goes the economic policies back and forth between free-market capitalism and socialism. Sometimes for brief periods we seem to get the balance right. More often, we don’t. Meanwhile, the layers of compliance and regulation in the private sector continue to build, weighing heavily on corporate profitability. The signs of this strain are seen in income inequality, prolonged inflation, and ever-expanding government bureaucracy. It sure is a mess. The foundation of the American Dream simply can’t handle it all. Entrepreneurialism and American exceptionalism are dying a slow death.

It is hard to imagine all these trends reversing any time soon. Eventually, some future generation will get tired of the bureaucratic nightmare and change will occur. How long this will take and how bad will the economic decline in the U.S. be over the next few generations is difficult to predict. There are certainly enough reasons to believe the decline will be slow and gradual. Relative to most of the rest of the world we still enjoy several competitive advantages. World class universities, abundant natural resources, leading edge technologies, powerful capital markets, and the strongest economy in the world, all bode well for the future of our country.

While doom and gloom prognostications are popular within the mainstream media, a slow, gradual decline is more likely. We are the wealthiest country in the history of the world. If things don’t get better, and even if they get slightly worse, that doesn’t mean they won’t still be pretty darn good.

Please help me grow my readership by forwarding this to a friend(s). In the meantime, stay tuned for my next newsletter. Thanks

Michael Kayes 

*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.

131st Edition

Reflections on the Ryder Cup

Wow. A Ryder Cup for the ages. We live in an era when major sporting events receive so much pre-competition hype that in most cases the actual event often seems anti-climactic. Not so with the 45th Ryder Cup recently played at Bethpage Black in New York. 

A brief summary… The 12 best golfers from Europe against the 12 best Americans. Three days of competition. The first two days were team matches, alternate shot and best ball formats. One match in the morning, another in the afternoon. The final day was singles competition. Mano a mano.  Europe played brilliantly to surge to a seemingly insurmountable lead after the first two days, 11 ½ to 4 ½. Fans, players, and pundits were stunned by the one-sided play and domination of the European team after the first two days. It looked utterly hopeless for the Americans. 

Then something quite remarkable happened midway through the singles matches on Sunday. The American players suddenly came alive, started sinking clutch putt after clutch putt.  They won four matches by the narrowest of margins, 1-up after 18 holes. The battle for the Cup, which seemed to be over on Saturday, was suddenly in doubt. 

And then came Shane Lowry, perhaps the gutsiest player on the European team. His birdie on the final hole clinched the retention of the Ryder Cup for the European team. Ties, by two of the final players, Tyrrell Hatton and Robert MacIntyre secured final victory for the Europeans, 15 – 13.  

What can we take away from this historic event?… Golf is a game of honor and sportsmanship, and players demonstrated both throughout the competition. It was amazing to watch all of them play their hearts out. Individual strength of character was commonplace, despite the immense pressure to win and despite repeated unsportsmanlike behavior by the fans. 

Based on their behavior, it was clear to me that these 24 incredibly talented golfers know a couple things that some of us might not. First, how you compete matters. No player on either side quit or blamed others for losing their matches. Win or lose, they owned their performance. Man up, no excuses. 

Second, they understood that the team is more important than any individual. They had each other’s back no matter how they were playing or how they were faring in their own individual matches. There is nothing as exhilarating as competing for a prize much bigger than yourself.   

None of these 24 amazing men are perfect, but all should be commended for their effort and their unwavering poise and dignity in the most challenging of circumstances. Well done to all.

I’d like that to be the end of the discussion, but we all know it won’t. The American captain, Keegan Bradley, will be second-guessed to death. The fans and even some of the commentators were an embarrassment, but nothing is likely to change. Fan behavior in our country has been deplorable for as long as I can remember. In the era when top athletes earn hundreds of millions, fan behavior seems to have gotten worse. Is there a correlation? Does being wealthy and successful make you a justifiable target of disrespectful behavior?   

We might ponder these other questions – Have we placed too much emphasis on winning? Have we forgotten that how you compete is more important than winning? Why? Because young, impressionable kids are watching. Maybe your own granddaughter or grandson. Maybe the next leader of our country. Might we always be mindful that the next generation is always learning from us.         

Please help me grow my readership by forwarding this to a friend(s). In the meantime, stay tuned for my next newsletter. Thanks

Michael Kayes 

*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.

130th Edition

School Violence

Here we are again trying to make sense of the incomprehensible. Another deadly shooting in a school, this time at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis.  As Matthew Hennessy succinctly states in his thoughtful essay in the Wall Street Journal, “It is a problem from hell.”   He ends his essay with this plea – “God, please tell us what to do.”

Matthew, my brother, I have good news.  God already has. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  And Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

Why not teach these two great commandments in school?  What could possibly be more important to learn than this?

School violence could be dramatically reduced by doing two things.  First, reintroduce faith into all schools. Not a watered-down “version of spirituality, but biblically based education stressing the eternal truths about who God is, who we are in relationship to our sovereign God, and what responsibilities we have in community as inhabitants in His kingdom.  Will this offend some people?  Will it infuriate atheists? If it is true there are no atheists in a fox hole, perhaps there are no atheists rushing to a school to save their children from the murderous attack of a deranged gunman.  Christ-centered people are far less likely to murder kids than people with no spiritual connection to the one true God.  If that bothers you, I am sorry.  If it bothers you more than what recently happened at Annunciation, then I’m not sure what to say to you.

Think beyond the positive impact this would have than just within the school.  The impact within families, neighborhoods, and the greater community would be transformative.  It could change our entire country. Reduce polarization, alienation, racism, prejudice, loneliness and depression.  Spirit-filled people understand all this, and they hope and pray for this transformation, too.

The second thing is to connect every student to some team, club, or activity that makes them feel part of something. It’s not totally foolproof, nothing is, but teammates tend not to shoot other teammates.  Kids who feel isolated, or worse, are more prone to violence.  We can dramatically reduce this risk by getting kids involved in extra-curricular activities, especially, but not limited to athletics.

I’ve written plenty about the proper role of scholastic sports in building character so I won’t belabor the point.  Here is a link to a prior blog if you need a refresher.  https://kayesbooks.com/number-six-integrate-sports-into-the-overall-education-experience/

These two solutions seem like no brainers to me.  Surrender our collective will to God and build true community and fellowship through athletics and other activities.  Yet we don’t do either very well.  We’ve pushed away from God in school.  Maybe that’s ok for families that are committed to raising their children in a Christ-centered environment. But what about the kids who live in a faithless home? Couldn’t schools fill that void?  Would it not be a positive experience to connect them to a faithful youth group or let them build a relationship with a faithful coach or mentor?

Meanwhile, the percentage of students who participate in athletics, particularly at most public high schools, is way too low. Surely, we can commit to raising this percentage.  All it takes is a commitment to character development instead of allocating all our resources to build one or two elite teams whose core philosophy is to win at all costs. This is the current approach to athletics at most public high schools. Low overall participation and too much of a focus on a few elite teams.

There are unintended consequences from every initiative.  What are they from reconnecting to God and strengthening community and fellowship through athletics and other activities?  We will have to try this first to know, but what are the risks?

What does it mean to love others as we love ourselves?  Maybe it’s better to ask what it doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean shoving any specific religion down anyone’s throat.  It doesn’t mean judging or ostracizing a person who believes in a different religion, or even no religion at all.  It means showing unconditional love, grace, and compassion to everyone.  Simple philosophy, perhaps not easy to do, but that’s really it.

Following the dreadful incident at Annunciation we all feel outraged. We are quick to offer our prayers and compassion. All natural and appropriate responses.  At some point, I hope we have serious conversations about two of the solutions that exist today.  Our plea today isn’t really – God, please help us. It is – God, please help us but do it in a politically correct way that won’t offend anyone.  Perhaps that would be a good place to begin the conversation.  These two solutions might require a reordered heart.  Is that possible?  All things are possible with God (Mark 10:27)

Please help me grow my readership by forwarding this to a friend(s). In the meantime, stay tuned for my next newsletter. Thanks

Michael Kayes 

*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.

129th Edition

Mind Control

Someday I’d like to master total mind control. The idea first came to me while watching one of my all-time favorite movies, a relatively unknown drama starring James Stewart, as Marsh “Carbine” Williams, a bootlegger who is convicted of manslaughter in the death of a federal agent during a shootout.  A hard-nosed judge sentenced him to twenty years in prison.  During the first years in prison, he stubbornly battles an equally stubborn warden, who put him in solitary confinement in a claustrophobic cell which the lanky Williams could barely fit into.  In relatively short order, to cope with his dire circumstances, he learns mind control.  He learns to block out every painful or frightening thought and focuses entirely on thoughts that were pleasing and comforting.  For him it was envisioning how to make an automatic rifle, hence the name of the movie, “Carbine Williams.”  Impressive and inspiring mind control.

I wish I had that ability.  I really wish I had that ability right now, as I am writing this blog crammed in the middle seat of row twelve on a four and a half-hour flight from Atlanta to Seattle.  Mind control is my only hope of making this unbearable situation tolerable.

What would life be like if we had total mind control?  I mastered it once, for about twenty minutes, in order to endure being rolled into a claustrophobic tube during an MRI exam.  I shut my eyes, imagined I was competing in the first day of a decathlon…  First event, the 100M dash. Runners to your marks… Set… Bang goes the gun.  By the time I had envisioned finishing the fifth and final event of the first day of the decathlon, the 400M, the MRI was complete, and I was free from the tube.  Piece of cake with mind control.

What else in life that we refuse to put up with could we tolerate, if we had total mind control?  How much could we lower our overall stress level if we could rely on it whenever we needed to?  In traffic, waiting in line, or heading to the doctor’s office to learn the results of a recent biopsy.  What comfort could mind control provide in those circumstances?

Finding proper perspective might play a role in all this.  Before I slumped into the middle seat, before two full-size strangers sat on either side of me, before I started to stress out and wonder how I was going to handle a four-and-a-half-hour flight, and yes, before I thought about writing a blog about mind control, I was in the waiting area trying to console a very distraught elderly man who shared with us that he recently lost his son, who died unexpectedly.  I was concerned about having space and a comfortable seat on a plane, and he was heartbroken about losing a son. Perhaps perspective is the catalyst for mind control.  Is it true that no matter what challenge or setback we might face, someone has it worse?  I asked myself that question as I read this paragraph in a book during my introspective plane ride…

“I’ve had operations on both knees, I’ve pulled muscles in my thighs, I’ve broken my foot, once I hurt my shoulder so badly that I had trouble throwing – and I’ve really worried about these things. But I’ll tell you the truth, your own worries seem like nothing when you think of the things that other people have been bothered with.” (Mickey Mantle in “The Quality of Courage.”).  If Mantle is right, then we have within us the perspective that might spark a mental refocusing.  Mind control.

Mind control is definitely counter-cultural.  We are constantly being bombarded with the message that we are entitled to have everything we need and desire.  But as we journey through life we are exposed to its frailty.  We experience the randomness of both fortune and misfortune.  With age and perhaps a bit of wisdom we accept the fact that we control less than we once thought we did.  Live long enough and most of us will experience pain and disappointment of some kind.  Ever wonder why some people seem to handle difficult situations better than others? Perhaps they have learned proper perspective and have a mechanism for invoking mind control.

There is a faith component to all this, too.  Faith, for many, provides the proper perspective.  God is in control, not us. Moreover, God is gracious and loving, and his son died for our sins. Focus entirely on those truths and it changes everything in a profound way.  I can attest to this transformative process firsthand. But spirituality can be fleeting.  A return to this spiritual perspective requires mind control.

Three hours to go… the most uncomfortable seats ever made are on airplanes.  I mean this particular airplane.  Seat 12E, specifically.  My butt is already killing me. Time for mind control. 

Please help me grow my readership by forwarding this to a friend(s). In the meantime, stay tuned for my next newsletter. Thanks

Michael Kayes 

*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.

128th Edition

Existential

It wasn’t too long ago that when I heard someone use the term “existential” it had no effect on me at all. I’m sure it was because I didn’t know what the word meant. Unfortunately, today I do, and how I long for days gone by…

Andrew Hartz, a clinical psychologist and the founder of the Open Therapy Institute, wrote an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal – “Why is Everything an Existential Crisis?” Let’s dig into that, shall we? His basic premise is that “so-called existential risks, seem to be everywhere….”  And that these fears are “expressing deeper concerns about morality and meaning….” It’s a very thought-provoking article, but he completely whiffs on the ending. Let me try to explain.

In his final paragraph, Hartz concludes his essay by stating the following: “Meaning and purpose have to be found on one’s own, and people must develop ways to manage the uncertainties and risks of life. This can be challenging, but it’s the only path toward fulfillment, wisdom, and freedom – to say nothing of mental health.” With all due respect to Mr. Hartz, we weren’t created to find meaning and purpose on our own. It is only attainable through a personal and intimate relationship with our Creator. God did not create us to operate independently of Him. Sure, we can find temporary happiness without a relationship with our creator, but it is more often than not fleeting, falling short of lasting joy.

A few key thoughts that need to be part of this discussion. First, a person can have a personal relationship with God without being religious, without going to church, without passing any dogmatic checklist. In other words, our purpose and meaning in life is simply to know God intimately and love Him with all our heart, mind, and soul. Through this relationship God gives us the fruit of the spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. With this spiritual armor we can then, and only then, find the path toward fulfillment, wisdom, and freedom, as Hartz wrote.

Today’s obsession with existential threats flows from our rejection of God. This is the statement that Hartz either doesn’t believe or wasn’t courageous enough to state. But individually and collectively, we aren’t going to make progress toward peace, reconciliation, and true community until we face this undeniable truth.

We have to humble ourselves before our Creator and realize that we can’t attain lasting personal fulfillment, nor true community, without His wisdom, love, and grace. If that seems daunting, don’t worry, it’s really not.

Stubbornly we try everything else. We serve false gods; we even make ourselves into god of our own life. Despite being the most medicated generation in our nation’s history, we face a myriad of mental health and social ills, from anxiety and depression to polarization and demonization. Worst of all, apathy is all too common. All of this is a result of our rejection of our one true God.

Second, having this essential relationship with God does not make an individual perfect, nor does it instantly solve every problem a person might face. We still have free will. Other people have free will, too. And shit happens, unfortunately. God is not a micro-manager. He allows all kinds of eventualities. He doesn’t eliminate all suffering, allows evil to exist, and doesn’t intervene every time we ask Him to. But even in our worst of times, if we lean into Him, He responds. He comforts, loves, forgives, and grants peace and understanding beyond anything we can attain on our own. God, and only God, can give us a reordered heart.

Third, there are good people who are atheists. Why? I have no idea. I suspect God is still working within them even if they aren’t aware of it. But over centuries of history there have been significantly more atheists who came to know God than people who knew God who decided to become an atheist. God works His sovereign will in His good time.

Fourth, a personal relationship with God is transformational. It is not an intellectual exercise. It is a heartfelt realization, a surrender of personal will and control. Like any intimate relationship, it is a process, a journey with joy and sorrow, with progress and setbacks, with peace and frustration, and every other emotion humanly possible. There is always mystery and perhaps above all, there is always hope. It’s all quite extraordinary, really.

C.S. Lewis stated that “the people who accomplish the most in this life, are those that concentrate the most on the next life.” I wish Mr. Hartz would have included that in his concluding paragraph.

Please help me grow my readership by forwarding this to a friend(s). In the meantime, stay tuned for my next newsletter. Thanks

Michael Kayes 

*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization